Amazon announced an update of its Fire TV range with two new streaming sticks: the Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick Lite.
The Fire TV Stick is Amazon’s most affordable streaming player – or it was until the company introduced the Fire TV Stick Lite. The two streaming players sit below the Fire TV Stick 4K in Amazon’s line up, offering a more affordable way to access Prime Video, Netflix, catch-up services and more.
According to Amazon, the new Fire sticks are twice as powerful as the previous generation and use half the power. Read on to find out how these two streaming sticks compare to one another.
Related: New Fire TV Stick announced with support for HDR and Atmos
New Fire TV Stick vs Fire TV Stick Lite price
The new Fire TV Stick is priced at £39.99 – the same as its predecessor – while the Fire TV Stick Lite costs less at £29.99. According to Amazon, the Lite is the most powerful streaming media player you’ll find at that price.
The Fire TV Lite is the obvious choice if you’re looking to save a bit of money, saving you £10 over the new Fire TV Stick. But is it necessarily the better choice?
New Fire TV Stick vs Fire TV Stick Lite specs
Both the new Fire TV and the Fire TV Lite are fitted with a new 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, making them 50% more powerful than their predecessor, and allowing them to consume half the energy, too.
Both Fire TV Sticks support HD streaming in 1080p at 60fps and are HDR compatible (HDR10/HLG/HDR10+). Each model also includes dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi to support 5 GHz networks for stable streaming.
The Fire TV Stick also features immersive Dolby Atmos sound (if you have the right equipment to take advantage of it), as well as the Alexa Voice Remote with volume, power and mute buttons. With this remote you can control not only your TV, but other connected AV equipment, such as a soundbar.
The Fire TV Lite comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Lite, which drops the ability to control the TV or connected equipment. Much like the standard Fire TV Stick, a press of the Alexa button and you’ll be able to use your voice to find, launch and search for content.
The difference in specs amounts to £10 more for a better audio experience and a remote that can act as your main zapper for both the TV and connected devices. For those looking to save some money, or for those who don’t have the kit to take advantage of the advanced remote, you likely won’t miss out by opting for the Lite.
That said, £10 isn’t a bad deal for better sound, a more stable connection and TV/AV control, so the new Fire TV Stick takes the win.
New Fire TV Stick vs Fire TV Stick Lite interface
Amazon is set to revamp its Fire TV interface later this year, offering a simpler and customisable experience.
The main menu will be placed in the middle of the screen, and you can scroll over the various apps to peak inside them. The new Find feature makes it easier to browse content catering to both broad and specific searches as well as offering helpful categories.
More functionality is said to be coming to the Alexa voice controls, and for those with Ring Security camera systems, they’ll be picture-in-picture video for you to surveil. User profiles will jump up to six people, with each profile gettings its own viewing history, recommendations, watchlists and settings.
Both Fire TV and Fire TV Lite users will have access to the new interface, so there’s nothing to choose between them in this instance.
Fire TV Stick vs Fire TV Stick Lite early verdict
Amazon has been very consistent with the quality of its streaming sticks, and there’s no reason to doubt the new Fire TV and Fire TV Lite won’t operate at the same level. Of course, we won’t know until we test them out.
As for which you should opt for, based on the specs the new Fire TV stick is more advanced for a minimal additional cost. However, what Amazon has done here is offer a choice. For those with the necessary equipment (soundbars, Dolby Atmos speakers etc), the Fire TV Stick will be the preferred choice. For those who want to watch TV without bothering with more advanced features, the Fire TV Stick Lite is the streaming player of choice.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
